UPDATED: Del Campo Supreme names general manager

Cathey, who was also sales manager at Del Campo Supreme, left the company June 29 to join Leamington, Ontario-based JemD Farms. Jim Munguia succeeded Cathey as sales manager June 3.

The moves follow the departure of Martin Ley, vice president and a 20-year veteran of Del Campo Supreme, to form a new company, Fresh Evolution, in Nogales.

Cathey started July 1 as a sales and purchasing manager at JemD Farms, where one of his tasks is to establish an f.o.b. sales office in McAllen, Texas.

“I’ll be managing purchasing from Arizona and sales from Texas,” he said. “It’s a new concept for them. Like many of the Canadians, they’ve taken a lot of their product to their Michigan and other facilities and moved it on from there. We intend to set up an f.o.b. sales office, and that’s my job. It gives us another block of customers who want to load f.o.b. in Texas.”

Cathey spent 12 years at Del Campo Supreme. He’s had business dealings with JemD Farms president Jim DiMenna through the course of his 35-year produce career.

“Cathey’s knowledge and vast experience in produce operations will help contribute to the growth of our company as we continue our expansions throughout North America,” DiMenna said in a news release.

Martinez has spent 10 years in his organization, starting from the retail side of the business at Casa Ley in Mexico. He moved to Nogales in 2003 to join Del Campo Supreme.

“The challenge is to maintain what Martin and Jim have built with the company and grow it,” Martinez said. “The competition is fierce, but I think we have the right quality and the right growers in line with us to give us the differentiation that we have been known for. I’m eager for the opportunity and I think we will succeed and make this company grow.”